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A Federal High Court in Abuja has ordered the remand of former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, SAN, alongside his wife and son, following their arraignment by the EFCC over alleged money laundering offences amounting to ₦8.7 billion.
Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court, Maitama, Abuja, on Tuesday ordered that Malami, his wife, Hajia Bashir Asabe, and their son, Abubakar Abdulaziz Malami, be remanded at the Kuje Correctional Centre pending the hearing of their bail application.
The trio was arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on December 30, 2025, on a 16-count charge bordering on conspiracy, concealment, disguising, procuring and laundering proceeds of unlawful activities.
The alleged offences involve a total sum of ₦8,713,923,759.49.
According to the EFCC, the charges are brought under the provisions of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
One of the counts alleges that Malami and his son, between July 2022 and June 2025, procured Metropolitan Auto Tech Limited to conceal the unlawful origin of ₦1,014,848,500 lodged in a Sterling Bank Plc account.
Another count accuses Malami, his son, and his wife, an employee of Rahamaniyya Properties Limited of conspiring in September 2024 to disguise the source of ₦1,049,173,926.13 allegedly channelled through the Union Bank account of Meethaq Hotels Limited, Jabi.
The EFCC further alleges that Malami and his son indirectly took control of ₦1,362,887,872.96 paid through Meethaq Hotels Limited’s Union Bank savings account between November 2022 and October 2025.
At the commencement of proceedings, prosecution counsel, Ekele Iheanacho, SAN, informed the court that the matter was scheduled for arraignment and requested that the charge be read to the defendants and their pleas taken.
Defence counsel, J. B. Daudu, SAN, raised no objection, and the court ordered the charge to be read.
Following the taking of pleas, the prosecution indicated readiness to proceed to trial and requested a trial date.
The defence subsequently made an oral application for bail, arguing that the alleged offences were bailable and that the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) does not mandate that bail applications must be in writing.
However, the prosecution opposed the request, insisting that bail must be supported by affidavit evidence and warning that granting an oral application would prejudice the prosecution.
The EFCC also urged the court to consider public interest, noting the gravity of the alleged economic crimes and the complex financial transactions involved.
In his ruling, Justice Nwite held that the prosecution must be afforded adequate time to respond to the bail application.
The court consequently ordered that Malami, his wife and son be remanded at the Kuje Correctional Centre and adjourned the matter to January 2, 2026, for the hearing and determination of the bail application.
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